VISAKHAPATNAM: There was no stopping the favourites as Shiva Thapa and Manoj Kumar stood just one win away from their second successive national boxing titles after advancing to the marquee domestic event’s final, on Sunday.

Shiva, a three-time Asian Championships medalist besides being a World Championships bronze-medalist, got the better of Delhi’s Buntee Singh 5-0 in his lightweight (60kg) semi-final clash.

He will next be up against Services Sports Control Board’s (SSCB) Manish Kaushik, the man he had beaten in the previous edition’s quarter-final. Manish defeated Punjab’s Palwinder Singh 5-0 in his last-four stage bout.

Former Commonwealth Games gold-medalist Manoj also continued his fine run as he beat Punjab’s Shubaham in the welterweight (69kg) semis.

Shyam Kumar will square off against Mizoram’s Nt Lalbiakkima in the final, aiming to better the silver medal he won in the last edition held in Guwahati.

Also advancing to the final was Commonwealth Games silver-medallist Mandeep Jangra, competing in his maiden event in the middleweight (75kg) category. The RSPB boxer defeated Delhi’s Parag Chauhan to make the final.